John h



(No Model.)

-J. H. ELWARD. TRAGTIUN ENGINE.-

YIO

UNITED STATES JOHN H. ELWARD, OF POLO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO l SAME PLACE.

-PATENT Enron.

MARY ELwAED, on

TRACTION-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION 'forming part of Letters Patent No. 329.154, dated October 27, 1885.

Application filed October 31, 1882. Serial No. 75,562. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, JOHN H. ELWARD, a citizen-of the United States, residing at Polo, in the county of Ogle and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Traction-Engines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a traction- 'engine having my improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a top plan view.

As the boiler, the engine, and the supporting and traction wheels, specifically considered, do not enter essentially into the present invention, they may be of any preferred character,

' wheel, B2, which is arranged to slide upon the shaft, being held from rotating relative to the shaft by means of a feather or spline. It has a hub, a, connected in any suitable way withV a shifting device, H, with a forked arm, the

forks h being preferably at an angle to the main part of the arm. The latter is arranged to slide parallel to the shaft in bearings at h extends backward to a point Within convenent reach of the engineer, being mounted in two or more bearings at k3 k3. When this is rocked in one direction or the other,the gearwheel B2 will be correspondingly shifted upon the shaft. This gear-wheel is adapted to engage with another gem-wheel, L, mounted, preferably, upon a stud-shaft secured to a bracket rising from the boiler, and formed with or having attached to the outer face thereof a miter-wheel, L', meshing with a wheel, L2. This last said wheel is attached to supplemental shaft N, mounted'in bearings at n n by means of brackets secured to the side of the boiler. This shaft N carries two loose pinions, o o', by means of which power is transmitted to the tractiOn-Wheels alternately in one direction or the other.

The traction-wheels are represented by B B', they being loosely and independently mounted upon a single or upon two axles. In the rear of the axle or axles of the-se tractionwheels there is a counter-shaft, B2, provided with pinions b at the ends, which engage with spur-wheels (on the traction-wheels) having internal teeth.

Power is transmitted to the counter-shaft preferably by means of a chain, the' shaft being either rigidly connected to both pinions in the common manner, or provided with a compensatinggear, as may be preferred.

The chain is operated by a sprocket-wheel, B5, also mounted upon a stud-shaft carried by an upwardlyrising bracket secured to the boiler. This wheel carries, or with it is formed, a bevel-wheel, O2, adapted to engage alternately with the above-described wheels o o.

M M are cones on shaft N, being situated,

respectively, Voutside the pinions o o', and

adapted to engage with concave or hollow cones or hubs m m', respectively secured to or formed with the loose pinions o o. They are continuously rotated by the shaft N, and are adapted to have a frictional engagement with the hubs m m when moved into contact therewith. They are situated at such distances apart that when at the midway point of their travel neither will enter or engage with its hubs, and as a result, the chain driving mechanism is thrown out of operation. When the cone M is engaged with its hub m, the traction-wheels will be turned in the direction of the arrow 1, the main shaft turning, as

shown by arrow 2, and when the opposite cone is in engagement the motion of the machine will be reversed.

The cones may be moved by any suitable mechanism, though I prefer one substantially similar to that shown, it consisting of a screw screw is secured to a swinging bar, Q, pivoted' at one end to a support carried by the steamdome, or to any other suitable support, and at the opposite end pivoted to a shifting-bar, R, which is stirrup-shaped, the downwardly-projecting lugs of which are forked and engage with grooves in the friction-cones M M. The connection between the screw and the swinging bar may be of any character adapted to allow freedom of movement, and the shiftingbar may be supported in any convenient or preferred way. When the screw-shaft l? is rotated in one direction,the cone M will be thrust into engagement with the cone m, and vice versa.

I have found a screw when thus combined with the shifting part of the friction clutch to be much more eftcient than the other devices heretofore employed, as I can not only exert great power therewith in thrusting the cones into engagement, but I can also hold them in firm contactwith the opposing clutch-faces and prevent disengagement.

Much trouble has been experienced in using traction-engines of this class as heretofore constructed from the fact that if the machine p should be in motion under such circumstances 'as to necessitate the speedy stopping of the traction-wheels or the reversing of their motion it has been impossible to do so. It is practically impossible to overcome the momentum of the machine by reversing the engine under some circumstances, as when going down hill rapidly. The friction-brakesof the l,common character applied to the ground- `friction-cone which is in engagement and then bringing into engagement the opposing clutch,

either gradually or quickly. If gradually,the

, opposing clutch-faces become powerful brakes,

the frictional resist-ance of which is felt by the traction-wheels, and by which said wheels Vcan be brought to rest; or before coming to4 perfect rest a complete contact of the frictionlaces may be produced,which will result in a With the devices which I reversing of the motion of the traction-wheels,

if such reversing is required. It` will be seen that this throwing out of one clutch and bringing in the other, so as to act first as a brake and then act to reverse the wheels, is done by rotating the screw-shaft P continuously in one direction. For this purpose the screw-shaft is very efficient as by its use the closeness of the opposing faces can be very delicately adjusted, so. that the requisite amount of friction can be produced, as above stated, and the opposing faces can be held rigidly and without wavering at the desired distance.

- I am aware that friction-clutches have beenl used upon engine-shafts for the purpose of transmitting motion, and for such purposes and in-suchplaces Ido not claim them; but I am not aware that friction-clutches of substantially the character shown have been arranged as set forth for braking the momentum of the engine and reversing the motion of the traction-wheels.

Between the pinions o o on the .shaft N there is placed a collar, o3, so arranged as to prevent thepinions from being crowded together when the friction-clutches are being forced powerfully into engagement.

In many engines of this classitis customary to have upon the main engine-shaft a frictionclutch, and when the engine is used for thrashing or other similar purposes the loose part of the clutch is permitted to rest freely on the shaft. This results in a rapid cutting away and destroying of the shaft, which I obviate IOO by employing a simple loose spur-gear,which y can be slipped out of mesh with the pinion, and which while thus out vof mesh rotates with the shaft. Thus there is nothing left loosely upon the shaft to cut and wear the latter away.

The pinions o o may be prevented from moving backward when their corresponding friction-clutches are being disengaged by any suitable means.

I do not herein 4claim any of the matters set forth in the claims of my application filed October 7, 1885, concurrent herewith, but restrict myself in this case to the matters in the claims below.

I do not claim, broadly, the combination, with the frictionclutch, of a screw-rod for op- IIO erating the clutch; but I do not believe that shaft, the ground traction-wheels, and the mechanism which is separable from said series or train of gear-wheels, and which drives the ground traction-wheels, of a reversing frictionclutch, substantially as set forth.

ISO

2. rlhe combination, with the engine-shaft, the train or series of gear-wheels driven by said shaft, the ground traction-wheels, and the mechanism which is separable from said train or series of gear-wheels, and which carries power to the ground traction-wheels, of two opposite friction-clutches, each arranged, substantially as set forth, to brake by friction the momentum of the traction-wheels, and at the same time reverse said wheels, as described.

3. The combination, with the main engineshaft, the traction-wheels, the continuouslyrotating supplemental shaft, the means for driving the last said shaft from the engineshaft, and a chain-wheel which operates the traction-wheels, and which is driven by said supplemental shaft, of two loose wheels on the supplemental shaft, and two opposing frictionclutches adapted to alternately engage said loosewheels with the chain-wheel, as set forth.

4. The combination, with the main engineshaft and wheel B', ofthe two opposing frictionclutches, adapted, substantially as set forth, to operate as brakes and for reversing the motion of said wheel B.

5. rlhe combination ofthe main engine-shaft, the drive-wheels, the axle or shaft of the drivewheels, an intermediate shaft separate from and interposed between the engine-shaft and the drive-wheel shaft, the two opposing friction-clutches upon the last said shaft, and the screw-rod connected with said clutches and adapted to operate them simultaneously, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of the two opposing clutches interposed between the engine-shaft and the drive-wheel shaft, the means `which connect the clutches, the lever pivoted to said connecting means, and the screw shaft or rod which engages loosely with said lever and engages by its thread with a stationaryl nut, substantially as set forth. 1

7. The combination of the main engine-shaft, the supplemental shaft mounted transversely to the main shaft, the toothed wheel permanently in engagement with the ground-wheel by means of the chain, thc two toothed wheels on the counter-shaft, which engage with the wheel which is permanently connected with the drive-wheel, the sliding cones, the lever pivotally connected with said sliding cone, and the screw shaft or rod loosely connected to said lever and engaging by means of its thread with a stationary nut, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination, with the chain-wheel, the wheels for alternately rotating the chainwheel in opposite directions, and the frictioncones for alternately rotating the last said wheels, of connecting and shifting devices adapted, substantially as described, to move the cones simultaneously one into and the other out of engagement with the corresponding friction-face, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof l affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN H. ELWARD.

Vitnesses:

H. H. BLIss, M. l). OALLAN. 

